Indecent Proposal
by firelily18
Summary: Slight AU. One rainy night when her useless feck of a husband drinks the Dole money again, Angela is mistaken for a prostitute by her own cousin Laman Griffin when she searches near and far in vain to find him. What proceeds is an indecent arrangement that will span over the course of an entire year, surprisingly helping Angela to grow in ways she never thought she could.
_**Disclaimer: I do not own Angela's Ashes. Enjoy!**_

It was the last week of September and her husband had drunk the Dole money yet again.

With four boys and not a scarp to eat or drink in the house nor a lump of coal in the fireplace, Angela quickly went out to look for him. She searched every bar near and far, asked every man she knew about him, but he was no where to be found. On one nearly abandoned street she was searching for him, the cold rain falling like the Shannon river on her causing Angela to shiver in her torn and worn out coat, she was mistaken for a prostitute by her own cousin.

"Give you a pound for the night sweetheart." She heard a masculine voice behind her. "If your front is as good as your back."

She recognized the voice immediately.

"Angela!" Laman Griffin said in shock as soon as her green eyes connected with his, his fat face flushing with embarrassment. "I'm sorry-I thought-"

"I'll take it." Angela quickly agreed before she could take it back, uncaring of shame or the fact that he was her blood. "A pound for the night."

Laman hesitated but then took pity on her and nodded when Angela pleaded with him of how badly she needed the money, her children were at home cold and starving. He always had a thing for her and Angela knew he didn't give a damn about the faith so he wasn't exactly worried about eternal damnation as she was.

He ushered her into his home and that was how it all began.

.

In the first week of October, Angela was in high spirits and couldn't help but sing in her utter happiness.

The one night she had with Laman turned into an arrangement that offered her _six pounds a week_! The cover story she insisted on with Laman was that she was his home keeper who came to clean his house and prepare his meals for a few hours Monday through Saturday. It wasn't a complete lie after all because Angela was his maid and cook along with her _other_ duties.

"Lord Angela!" Her husband inquired as he glanced around the newly refurnished rooms. "Where did you get all this stuff?"

Angela kept combing her hair with her new brush curtesy of Laman Griffin.

"Laman Griffin," She answered, sparing her useless feck of a husband a quick glance. "It was his mother's things. He never uses them but he couldn't bear to sell or get rid of them so he said I could take them. He said she would approve if they were with family."

It wasn't a complete lie of course. Laman Griffin didn't use any of the things he gave her and it _did_ belong to his mother but it most certainly didn't mean Angela got it for free out of the kindness of his heart.

She just hoped her husband didn't notice the love marks in the back of her neck, not that he would since she hasn't slept with him in weeks.

.

In the second week of October, she moved and thank the Lord in heaven for that.

She had paid off the rent for the next fortnight and threw a celebration in her home that Friday night as Saturday night she planned to take her boys to the Cinema as a special treat. Her idiot husband was away drinking the Dole money again which was too bad as they were having lamb and there was sure to be no leftovers, she would make damn well sure of it.

"Lord Angela have ye become millionaires!?" Her mother said in shock as she scooped more mashed potatoes onto her plate. "What is cousin Laman Griffin paying ye anyhow?"

She didn't tell, of course, her husband would be searching every nook and cranny for the money if she did.

"He pays me well enough." Angela replied as she took another bite of her delicious lamb. "I think he pities me, four children and a husband always drinking away the Dole money. He makes good money as a butcher and has no wife or children to spend it on. He can afford charity towards me."

"Well you can forget about the Dole and St. Vincent de Paul." Her sister told her matter-of-factly, taking another sip of the wine Laman had 'given' her. "Once the inspectors come over to the house tomorrow, you'll be cut off at once even if your useless Northern husband doesn't have a job."

And true to her word, she was cut off. But she didn't mind. Her children were fed and healthy. Angela didn't have to beg for food or clothing anymore, she didn't have to stand over her husband when he received the Dole so he wouldn't go drinking.

Truth be told, she could find herself caring less and less about her husband.

.

The third week of October, she was on break from Laman Griffin because of her monthly pains and finally paid off the boots she had saved up for her sons.

Angela sent her useless husband to do one thing, _one thing_ , because her grandmother was busy with her rosaries and her sister working. All he had to do was pick up the boots in the morning and give them to the children before they left for school that day, that's it.

And Angela was horrified when she found out what he'd done.

"Why buy new boots?" He scoffed, waving her accusations away. "Waste of good money. I fixed them well enough."

Angela found herself infuriated by his show of nonchalance and the fact that he just showed up to her door demanding breakfast after disappearing for three days no doubt on a drinking binge, her menstrual pains adding to her anger.

 _"They are not fixed!"_ She shrieked at him, throwing the 'fixed' boots in his face. "You've ruined them! My sons can't walk in these! Thanks to you they are the laughingstock of the school and I am now known as the woman in the lane who can afford lamb on Sundays but not new boots for her sons in the rainy season! I gave you money for boots, now where is it!?"

His eyes narrow on hers and he stands tall.

"I am the man in this house woman-"

That was all he had time to say as Angela finally reached her tempest, grabbed the thing nearest her which happened to be a pan, and knocked him out cold in her fury.

 _ **Author's Note: WROTE THIS WHILE WATCHING ANGELA'S ASHES. Reviews please!**_


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